Compass-based navigators need to check your declination, because magnetic North is not where it used to be.
The magnetic North Pole’s movement has sped up dramatically in the last 25 years—currently moving at 30 miles/year, compared to 9 miles/year in the 1990s. It’s moving so quickly from Canada towards Siberia that it could cause navigation errors.
The World Magnetic Model—used for GPS & other navigational guidance—is regularly updated to keep up with the North Pole’s shifting location. However, the update, originally scheduled for 2020, was moved to 2019 because the modeling used to predict the magnetic North Pole was falling outside acceptable parameters.
The ongoing US government shutdown, however, has now pushed back the update. Unless the government shutdown ends soon, those using smart phone map functions might get lost!
The magnetic North Pole’s movement has sped up dramatically in the last 25 years—currently moving at 30 miles/year, compared to 9 miles/year in the 1990s. It’s moving so quickly from Canada towards Siberia that it could cause navigation errors.
The World Magnetic Model—used for GPS & other navigational guidance—is regularly updated to keep up with the North Pole’s shifting location. However, the update, originally scheduled for 2020, was moved to 2019 because the modeling used to predict the magnetic North Pole was falling outside acceptable parameters.
The ongoing US government shutdown, however, has now pushed back the update. Unless the government shutdown ends soon, those using smart phone map functions might get lost!
